Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia

Malaysia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 61.3% in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
61.3%
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
46th
of 87 countries
All-time high
65.9%
in 1991
All-time low
61.3%
in 2018
Years of data
7
1980–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia, 1980–2018

02040601980199920181980: 63.91991: 65.92000: 63.92010: 65.52016: 62.82017: 63.52018: 61.3

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2018, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia stood at 61.3%. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia peaked at 65.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 61.3%, in 2018.

That places Malaysia 46th out of 87 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia, 1980 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1980 63.9%
1991 65.9% +3.2%
2000 63.9% -3.1%
2010 65.5% +2.5%
2016 62.8% -4.1%
2017 63.5% +1.1%
2018 61.3% -3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 63.9% 63.9% 63.9% 1
1990s 65.9% 65.9% 65.9% 1
2000s 63.9% 63.9% 63.9% 1
2010s 63.3% 61.3% 65.5% 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 43 Cameroon 62.4% compare
  2. 44 Tanzania, United Republic of 62.1% compare
  3. 45 Nigeria 61.9% compare
  4. 47 Malawi 61.2% compare
  5. 48 Mexico 60.7% compare
  6. 49 Benin 60.6% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia was 61.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 65.9% in 1991.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 61.3% in 2018.
How does Malaysia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
Malaysia ranks 46th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-percent-female/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Share of the adult illiterate population (age 15+) that is female.